Guy Laliberte

Revolution Under the Big Top

Before Guy Laliberte's Cirque Du Soleil rose 20 years ago, the big top had degenerated into a tedium of cliches: Bozo-like clown acts, dancing bears in dresses and men with whips sticking their coiffed heads into lions' mouths. Laliberte changed all that, building a new, animal-free circus prototype that emphasized heart-tingling theatricality, New Age sensibilities and jaw-dropping athleticism. Then his troupe invaded Las Vegas, bringing imaginative original productions to the land of showgirls and Elvis impersonators. Today, Laliberte's 3,000-strong company juggles nine spectacular shows: five that tour the globe and four resident ones, the biggest of which, O in Vegas, has...